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# Summer 2012 

Vol. 35 No. 2 

[Subscribe](https://store.cato.org/collections/all-products/products/regulation-magazine) 

##### From the Cover 

### [Do Sex Offender Registries Make Us Less Safe? ](/regulation/summer-2012/do-sex-offender-registries-make-us-less-safe)

By J. J. Prescott 

Laws purporting to protect the public may be increasing sex offender recidivism rates.

##### Features 

#### [Can Behavioral Economics Combat Obesity? ](/regulation/summer-2012/can-behavioral-economics-combat-obesity)

By Michael L. Marlow and Sherzod Abdukadirov 

There is little reason to think that further government intervention will shrink Americans’ waistlines.

#### [Economics and Financial Regulation ](/regulation/summer-2012/economics-financial-regulation)

By [Henry G. Manne](https://www.cato.org/people/henry-manne) 

Will the SEC’s new embrace of cost-benefit analysis be a watershed moment?

#### [The Use and Abuse of Science in Policymaking ](/regulation/summer-2012/use-abuse-science-policymaking)

By Henry I. Miller 

The regulation of biotechnology provides a cautionary tale of politicized science.

#### [Does Private Insurance Reduce Environmental Accidents? ](/regulation/summer-2012/does-private-insurance-reduce-environmental-accidents)

By Haitao Yin, Howard Kunreuther, and Matthew W. White 

Gas station underground tank leaks decreased when states switched from state-managed assurance programs to mandatory private insurance.

##### For the Record 

##### [Niskanen, Politics, and Comedy ](/regulation/summer-2012/niskanen-politics-comedy)

By John Blundell 

##### Briefly Noted 

##### [What’s Wrong with Europe? ](/regulation/summer-2012/whats-wrong-europe)

By Pierre Lemieux 

##### [Reforming the Export-Import Bank ](/regulation/summer-2012/reforming-export-import-bank)

By [Ike Brannon](https://www.cato.org/people/ike-brannon) and Elizabeth Lowell 

##### [Ex-Im Is Beyond Reform ](/regulation/summer-2012/ex-im-beyond-reform)

By [Sallie James](https://www.cato.org/people/sallie-james) 

##### [Driver Distractions and Regulatory Dystopia ](/regulation/summer-2012/driver-distractions-regulatory-dystopia)

By Thomas A. Hemphill 

##### [Preventing the PBGC from Becoming the Next Government Bailout ](/regulation/summer-2012/preventing-pbgc-becoming-next-government-bailout)

By Thomas J. Healy 

##### [What Does an Hour of Regulatory Compliance Cost? ](/regulation/summer-2012/what-does-hour-regulatory-compliance-cost)

By Sam Batkins 

##### In Review 

##### [Is U.S. Health Care Less Efficient than Other Countries’ Systems? ](/regulation/summer-2012/book-review-excellent-health-setting-record-straight-americas-health-care)

By H.E. Frech III 

##### [Government and the Good Society ](/regulation/summer-2012/book-review-finance-good-society)

By David R. Henderson 

##### [Politics and Oil ](/regulation/summer-2012/book-review-no-war-oil-us-dependency-middle-east)

By [Richard L. Gordon](https://www.cato.org/people/richard-gordon) 

##### [Tear Down These Walls ](/regulation/summer-2012/book-review-borderless-economics-chinese-sea-turtles-indian-fridges-new)

By David R. Henderson 

##### [A Life in Science ](/regulation/summer-2012/book-review-physics-fun-memoirs-life-physics)

By David E. Berg 

##### [Up from Poverty ](/regulation/summer-2012/book-review-projects-autobiography)

By David R. Henderson 

##### [Working Papers ](/regulation/summer-2012/working-papers)

By [Peter Van Doren](https://www.cato.org/people/peter-van-doren) 

##### Final Word 

##### [Foreclosure Wasteland ](/regulation/summer-2012/foreclosure-wasteland)

By Tim Rowland 

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